Carding-machine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

W. H. RANKIN; GARDING MACHINE.

Patented June 28 1887.

my w (No Modl.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. H. RANKIN.

GARDI-NG MACHINE.

Patented June 28, 1887.

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. RANKIN, OF LAVVBENGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

CARDIN G-MACHIN'E;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,405, dated June 28, 1887.

Application filed September ll, 1986. Serial No. 211,149. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. RANKIN, of Lawrence, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Garding-Maohines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the d rawi ngs representing like parts.

This invention has for its object to improve that class of carding-machines wherein the topflats are oscillated or turned partially upward from the card-cylinder to be stripped. In my Patent N 0. 336,587 the top-flats or segmental workers were oscillated by a rack-and-pinion movement carried by the traveling irame. Herein I have devised means whereby each top-flat is grasped at the end by ajaw connected with an oscillating or rock shaft, the movement of which is'controlled by a cam carried by the traveling frame, the said cam being rotated at such speed wit-h relation to the movement of the traveling frame as to enable the jaw to take hold of everyalternate top-flat. The jaw referred to is loosely connected with the rock-shaft, and is made to slide longitudinally thereon under thecontrol v of a pattern-cam so shaped as tov cause the jaw tograsp alternate top-flats or to skip one or more top-flats, as desired.

My invention consists, essentially, in a cardcylinder, a series of pivoted top-flats having shoes, the frame A, the rockshaft f", and a jaw thereon, combined with means to rock the said shaft while itsjaw is in engagement with a shoe of a top-flat, to overturn the said top-flat, substantially as will be described.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sufficient portion of a carding-machine to illustrate my invention, the arch being broken out to show a part of the cylinder, the said figure showing but a small number of the top-flats, as all are alike. Fig. 2 is a right-hand end elevation of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, anouter side View, on a larger scale, of a portion of the traveling frame and parts carried by it, the top-flat (shown by dotted lines) being in position to be stripped. Fig. 4 is a right-hand side view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a section of Fig. 4 on the dotted line x 00., looking to the left. Fig. 6 is a detail of, the one-toothed gear, to be described. Fig. 7 is a detail showing one end of one of the top flats; and'Fig. 8 is a detail of the shoe n, to be described.

The card-clothed cylinder A its shaft A the' traveling frame A, pulley r on the maincut shape to vibrate the top flat'stripping card, and at its rear side the said gear has a peculiar cam, to be described, which aids in effecting the partial overturning or oscillation of the top-flats.

In practice the traveling frame will be moved through the medium of a pinion set in motion intermittingly by the toothed periphery of the said cam-gear B, the said pinion engaging a curved rack secured to the side frame of the carding-machine,substantially as shown in the said patent, and being not of my invention, but well known, need not be herein further described. The periphery of the cam-gear B for about ninety degrees is provided with teeth extending entirely across the said periphery; but for the remaining two hundred and seventy degrees the said camgear has a series of short teeth lying at the side of a smooth or untoothed surface, against which .co-operates the holding-segment 2; it and a pinion, 6 being fast on a short shaft, 4,

extended through the carrying-frame and provided with a gear, 5, having a tooth, 15, (see Figs. 5 and 6,) which tooth at each rotation of the'said shaft engages the crownteeth 6 of a gear, 7, and moves it one step or tooth, the said gear 7 at its periphery having a series of scallop teeth, 8, which are entered by the toothless portion of the gear 5, the said toothless portion entering one of the said scalloped spaces as the tooth 15 passes from engagement with the crown'teeth 6, the gear 7 being held at rest as long as the untoothed semicircular portion thereof remains in the said scallo 3.

In Fig. 5 it will be noticed that the tooth 15 stands back from the front of the gear 5, and

that the front of the said gear is circular for substantially three hundred degrees, as shown in Fig. 6, the remaining portion of the gear being cut away in line with the tooth 15, thus leaving a space for the large or untoothed part of the gear to run in and out of mesh with the scalloped part of the gear 7. The gear 7 is attached to a pattern-cam, 10, mounted loosely 011 a stud, 12.. The pattern-cam basagroove, 13, (see Figs. 2 and 4,) which receives in it one end of a lever, 14, pivoted at 16 on a stand secured to the traveling frame A, the upper end of the said lever being forked to enter an annular groove in the neck of the jawf, having an open space, f, and a tubular shank, the space in the said jaw being of suitable size and shape to receive in it a shoe, 29, (see Figs. 2 and 7,) with which each top-flat is provided at one end, the said shoe being at the extremity of the topflat and outside of the bearings 4t, common to my patent No. 336,587, the said bearings being erected upon the arch of the cardframe, the said hearings in practice being preferably made adjustable in any usual manner. Each top-fiat has its journal 30 near one edge at each end thereof, thejonrnals at one end ofeach top-fiat having a shoe, 29, the journals being near one edge of the topflat, as shown, to thus permit the top-flats to be readily overturned, substantially as in my said patent. The sleeve of thejaw f is splined on an oscillating shaft,f, and is moved longitudinally thereon by the lever 14, according to the requirements of the pattern-cam, thejaw being moved to the rightin the arcoccupied by the shoes, and being there retained as long as alternate top-flats are to be oscillated or turned over to be stripped. By making the can] so that about two hundred and seventy degrees of the groove compels the lever to keep the jaw out in the line of and so as to pass over the shoes, the remaining ninety degrees acting upon the lever 14 to draw the jaws out of the range of the shoes, it is possible with a carding-machine having twenty flats (the traveling frame being supposed to make two complete trips over and back) to strip every alternate fiat of the first ten flats, omit the next ten both when going over and back, then during the last part of the first trip back strip the alternate flats lying between those of the first ten flats which were stripped first, and during the second trip both backward and forward all the flats are stripped alternately. Of course the order of stripping may be changed by changing the shape of the groove in the pattern-cam. The

shaftf, to which the sleeve having the jawf is connected, is extended through the traveling frame .A, and outside the frame has connected to it a foot, a, eoncaved, as at 17, (see Fig. 8,) and provided with a pin or stud, 18. The rear side of the cam-gear B differs from the cam-gears common to the one shown by like letter in United States Patent No. 291,471, and also common to the Vellman stripper, as referred to, in that the inner side of the said cam gear, as devised by me, is shaped as shown in Fig. 5. This cam-gear has a cam-groove, 20,which receives in it thepin or stud 1S, and, acting thereon, causes the shaft to be rotated for nearly halfa rotation, the eoncaved part 17 of the said foot co operating with and fitting snugly against the convexed or segmental shelf 22, when the pin or stud 18 is in that part of the said cam-groove 20 nearest the periphery of the said toothed cam B, thesaid foot and shelf acting to insure the firm holding of the top-flat in position with its cardteeth uppermost to be stripped by the stripping devicc, which, operating at that time, strips the topflat. The top-flat having been stripped, the eoncaved portion of the foot is released from the shelf 22, and the pin or stud 18 in the farther rotation of the cam B enters the portion 23 of the cam-groove 20, and the shaft f is oscillated in the opposite direction to return the top-flat into working position, the jaw, when it eomesin position to place its open portion f in line with the shoes being carried by the movement of the traveling frame into position to embrace a shoe of a neighboring top-flat, which is then raised, as before stated.

The card -S employed, by which to strip the overturned top-flats, and the mechanism to opcrate it are all as fully shown and described in my patent referred to, No. 336,587, so need not be herein further described. The main frame F is of the same shape as the main frame in my patent referred to. The cam 20 might be composed of a single flange, instead of two, as shown in Fig. 5, and in such event two pins or studs 18 would be used-one against each side of the flange.

I claiin- 1. The carding-cylimler, a series of pivoted top-flats having shoes, the frame A, the rockshaft f and a jaw thereon, combined with means torock the said shaft while its jaw is in engagement with a shoe of a top-flat to overturn the said top flat, substantially as described.

2. The eard-ingcylinder, a series of pivoted top-flats having shoes, the frame A, the rockshaft f, and a jaw thereon, combined with means to rock the said shaft while its jaw is in engagement with a shoe of a top-flat, and with a pattern-cam, a lever moved by it to move the said jaw toward and from the topflats in the direction of their length, and with means to rotate the said pattern'cam, substantiall y as described.

3. The frame A, the cam -gear B thereon, provided at its rear side with a cam and with a segmental shelf, and a rock-shaft having a foot provided with a pin or stud to co-operate with the said cam, and with a eonca ed surface to co-operate with the said shelf, and a jaw carried by the said rock-shaft, combined with a main cylinder and with a series of pivoted top-flats provided with shoes to be engaged by the said jaws, the said foot and shelf holding or locking the top-flat in position while it is being stripped, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ihavesigncd my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

XVILLIAM II. RANKIN.

Witnesses:

J OIIN S. GILE, J OHN H. STAFFORD. 

